A recent study by MBO Partners attempted to determine the motives of those who choose to work independently rather than at a salaried position, Staffing Industry Analysts reports.
The survey defines an independent worker as a person who is locked into a fixed-term contract, a contract worker who found a job through a temporary agency, someone in an on-call arrangement or the owner of a business with less than five employees. A total of 1,745 U.S. residents were questioned for the study.
The desire for work-life flexibility was found to be the greatest indicator for switching to independent work, as noted by 47 percent of respondents. Furthermore, 55 percent stated that it was their choice to become independent, while 63 percent said they plan to continue working independently in the future.
Today, there are approximately 16 million independent U.S. workers, while 28 million are considering becoming independent within the next two years.
Small Business Trends adds that 24 percent of workers chose to become independent after losing their salaried job, and 33 percent reported feeling more stable working on their own than in a company environment.
